Meters and like instruments with variable scales



METERS AND LIKE INSTRUMENTS WITH VARIABLE SCALES Filed Jan. 6, 1959rApril 9, 1963 sHuNYA sUzUKl 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig; 2 w

INVENTOR. 'SFUNK'I sul@ KI' BY ,wi-Q 'eA/Ey Z7 Fig- '7 April 9, 1963sHuNYA suzuKl 3,084,660

METERS AND LIKE INSTRUMENTS WITH VARIABLE SCALES med Jan. 6, 1959 2sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. Smm y Suzy Kl Afrole/ve-y This inventionrelates to a flexible scale band which is caused to contract or expandto change at an optional rate in relation to a lixed standard scale. Itsprinciple lies in varying the radius of a circular band, which is madeof a material with a high elastic limit, without changing the distancebetween the graduations on the band. One of the objects of thisinvention is that the units of graduation of a meter may be variedfreely since the rate of change of the graduations is optional. Anotherobject is that it is possible to make optional 'conversions by thereadings of the graduations on the movable scale in relation to that ofthe standard scale. A further object of this invention is that by movingthe graduations of the movable band is concentric relation with thefixed standard scale, it is possible to easily and rapidly change theunit of graduation of the above meter or likewise the conversion valuesof the graduations on the scale.

In the accompanying drawings, FIG. 1 to FIG. 9 show a meter or" anembodiment of this invention;

FIGURE l is an elevational view of the meter with parts broken away;

FIGURE 2 shows a cross-section on the center axis of the meter, taken onthe lines 2-2 of FIGURE l1;

FIGURE 2a is a sectional view taken on line Za-Za of FIGURE 1;

' FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of an outer disc with parts broken awaywhich forms a part of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of an auxiliary disc to receive the freeend of a movable ilexible scale band;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the rotating disc;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the meter case showing its reverseside;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the guide of the originalend of the iiexible scale band;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged perspective view of a guide pin for the scaleband; and FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of theflexible scale band.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. l, a gradual declining recess 4 startingat edge 32 and terminating at 33, as clearly shown in FIGURE 3 is formedbetween the inner edge Ll of the standard fixed scale 2 mounted on aange portion 1 of the outer disc 1 and the hub portion 3 in the centerof said outer ange l. A thin flexible circular band 5 which is a metalstrip with a high elastic limit and high thermal coefficient is locatedwithin said recess 4 close to inner edge il. On outer and inner faces5'S of the band 5 many pieces of tine wires 6-7' are fitted for thegraduations. In this case, the outer peripheral scale `d, as seen inFIGURE l, are made to be opposite the graduations of the fixed standardscale 2 on the ange portion 1 of outer disc 1 and with the graduationsin agreement with each other, and it is preferable that the innerperipheral scale 7 be graduated so that the point that corresponds tothe scale value of 10 of the outer peripheral scale 6 is made to beequal to a value of 3 to 3.3 or 5 on the inner peripheral scale 7.

Starting at line 32, which is a line connecting the zero point of thestandard scale 2 with the center of the outer disc I, the recess 4 ofthe outer disc .1 gradually starts to decline and by the time it reachesthe starting line 33 it is lower than the starting line 32 by a heightequal to tent ice the width of the movable band 5, and between the twoedges 32 and 33 a cutaway gap 8 of a constant width is formed to allowmovable band 5 to pass therebetween.

In the recess 4, starting at the cutaway gap 8, there are provided aplurality of narrow straight radial slots 9 of equal angles apart, andit is preferable that the length of these slots 9 be made of a length inwhich the distance from the outer tips of the slots 9 to the center ofthe outer disc 1 is slightly greater than three times the distance fromthe inner tips of the slots 9 to the center of said outer disc 1. Ineach of the slots 9 a guide plug I@ is slidably mounted therein forguiding the flexible scale band 5, and this guide plug 10 is providedwith two small pin-like projections 101 and 102, see FIG. 8 forcl'asping the scale band 5. The movable scale band 5 moves by slidingbetween these two small pin-like projections 1li-1 and 162.

The bottom part of the above guide plug 10 extends down through outerdisc 1, passing through the straight radial slot 12 provided in theauxiliary disc 11 and the curved radial slot 14 of rotating disc 13 andheld to the base 15 of the meter case with a llange 17 affixed at thebottom of plug 1th after passing through the straight radial slot 16provided in base 15. Another ilange 18 is provided on the plug 11@ whichrests on the roating disc 13 for support. Hence, when the above rotatingdisc 13 is rotated, it is possible to cause each of the guide plugs 10to move along in the slot 16 of the base 15. On the other hand, at thecutaway gap 8 of the recess 4 of the outer disc 1 a guide element 19 forthe Zero point 20 of the movable scale band is provided with the bentportion affixed thereto. This guide element 19 of the zero point is madein one body with the guide element 24 which receives the other free endof the band 5. This guide element 24, being provided with an opening 23through which the Wire pieces `alrixetl to indicate the graduations onscales 6 and '7, as mentioned above, may pass, maintains the face ofband 5 perpendicularly to the cutaway gap 8 of the outer disc `1 and thecutaway gap 2E of the auxiliary disc 11 and guides the band 5 from theabove opening 23 through the cutaway portion of the auxiliary disc 1'1into the rear side of said disc 11. rI`he outer diameter of theauxiliary disc 11 and the diameter of its central hole are equal to theouter diameter of the recess 4 of the outer disc 1 and the `diameter ofits hole, respectively. Moreover, its surface is sloped in a similarfashion as that of the recess 4. And it is further provided with acutaway gap 25 of the same width and phase as the cutaway gap of theabove recess 4. The dilierence between the height of the steps of thecutaway gap is also similar to the dilierence between the height of thesteps of the cutaway gap of the outer disc. Furthermore, the `auxiliarydisc is provided with .straight radial slots 12 of similar length, widthand phase as that of the outer disc 1.

Next, a rotating disc 13 made of a comparatively thick metal plate of anoutside diameter and inside hole diameter equal to the auxiliary disc 11is provided as shown in FIG. S. This rotating disc 13 has a plurality ofcurved slots 14 radially disposed coresponding in number with slots 9 or12 'of the outer disc or auxiliary disc and the respective `distances oftheir inner and outer ends from the center of the rotating disc areequal to those of the radial slots 9 or 12 of ythe above-mentioned outerdisc 1 or auxiliary disc `11. This rotating disc 13 is provided with .ahandle 27 on its outer edge for the purpose of rotating said rotatingdisc relatively to auxiliary disc 11.

The base 15- is made of a thick metal plate, and its outside ldiameteris equal to the outer ydiameter of the outer disc 1 with its insidediameter equivalent to the aosaeeo inside diameter of the recess d. Inthis base 15, there are provided a plurality of straight radial slots 1dof identical ydimensions as those of the above auxiliary disc 11 andwith the same phase as the cutaway gap 25. As yshown in FIG. 2, theforegoing `auxiliary disc 11 is ntted into the inside of the cylindricalwall Z8 of the meter case with the recess 4 of the outer disc 1superimposed thereabove and the circumferential edge of the disc 1resting on the top edge of the cylindrical wall 23. rll`he auxiliarydisc 11 is iixed to this cylindrical wall 28, and the rotating disc 13rotates as described above by means of a handle 27, which has a guideslot 29 provided in the cylindrical edge 28. The length of this guides-lot 29 corresponds to the length of the curved radial slots of therotating disc 13. In the embodiment illustrated the limit of the movedangle is about 90.

Also, the depth of the recess i of the outer disc 1 is made slightlydeeper than the height of the movable scale band 5, and to prevent theband 5 from slipping upward and out the recess i is covered with atransparent cover 3i). In the center of ,the central hub 3 of the outerdisc 1 a rotatable pointer 31 is provided.

In using the dial of this invention, tirst when the proiecting .piecesof wires indicating the graduation on the movable scale band are causedto be in agreement with the graduations of the fixed standard scale 2 asshown in FIG. 1, the numerical values on the standard scale and theouter peripheral scale 6 will be identical when the pointer 3i is moved.When the rotating disc 13 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 1 by moving thehandle 27, the intersecting points of the curved slots t4 of therotating disc 13 and the straight slots 16 of the base 15' of the meter`case will move towards the center along the slots 16, thus makingpossible to move each of the guide plugs 1t) of the movable scale :band5 and the guide element 19, which are both located at the intersectingpoints, towards the center along the straight radial slots `S and thecutaway gap d. In this instance, the guide plugs and guide element 19are at all times located on the same circumference and an equal distancefrom the center. Hence, the movable scale band 5, which is guided .byeach of the guide plugs 1t) and guide element 19, due to its being madeof a material such as steel with high elastic limits, can be made toincrease or decrease its radius while maintaining almost perfectly itscircular shape.

As the radius of the movable scale band decreases, the length of thecircumference of the movable scale band 5 becomes shorter and with thezero point 2d where the graduations begin being xed to the guide element19, the end of the scale band 5 longer than the circumference becomesleft over. This excess portion, however, goes into the back of outerdisc 1 the edges 32 and 33 of the cutaway gap 8 provided in recess l andadvances between the rear surface of outer disc 1 and the front surfaceof auxiliary disc 11. In this instance, the scales 6 and '7 passesthrough the opening 23 of the guide element 19 located at the zero pointand are guided along by the guide element 224i. The outer end of theband 5 can ad- Vance still further and pass through the cutaway gap 2.5of the auxiliary disc and into the rear side of it.

Now, as the radius of the `movable scale band 5 is made smaller bymoving the handle 27, since the zero point Ztl of the scale Iband 5merely moves towards the center hub 3 along the cutaway gap 8 withoutmoving to the left or right, the graduating wires d on the outerperipheral scale 6 of the movable scale band S located opposite thestandard scale move to positions where the wires gradually get smaller.In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1, for example, when the radiusof the movable band 5 contracts to a radius equivalent to %0 of theoriginal radius, the 10th graduation of the outer peripheral scale 6 ofthe movable scale band 5 which was opposite the 10th graduation of thestandard scale 2 becomes graduation 3. herefore, it Iis possible tochange the units of graduation or perform conversions between the twoscales in accordance with the relative position that the Imovable scaleband 5 is in relation to the iixed standard scale 2. Also, adaptationscan be made to weighing meters where either the fixed scale 2 or themovable scale band 5 is made to indicate prices, and thereby making itpossible to directly read oit1 the prices for the dierent weights of anymerchandise as may be desired. Moreover, with the inner peripheral scale'7 graduated differently from the above outer peripheral scale 6, byusing the different combinations of the fixed standard scale 2 and theperipheral scales 6 and '7 of the movable scale band 5, variousconversions are possible with the numerical values indicated on the faceof the dial, not shown.

Although certain embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed for purposes of illustration, it is to be understood that theinvention may be applied to various uses and that changes andniodiications may be made therein as will be .apparent to a personskilled in the art.

I claim:

l. Meters and like instruments comprising, in combination, an outer discwith a xed circular scale in its circumlference, said outer discincluding a stepped gap and a plurality of radial slots, a flexible.scale band provided with two ends being guided by a plurality of guideplugs, a guide element provided `with an opening, one end of said scaleband being iiXed to said guide element, and the other end of said bandbeing free to pass through said opening in said guide element, anauxiliary disc having `similar radial slots and stepped gap as saidouter disc and superimposed thereon, and a rotatable disc having aplurality of curved radial slots, said guide element being displacedalong the steppedfgap of said outer disc and auxiliary disc, and theplurality of guide plugs being displaced radially along the respectiveslots of the outer disc, auxiliary disc, and the rotatable disc.

2. Meters and like instruments according Ito claim 1 wherein theflexible scale yband is made of a steel istrip and graduated with manypieces of fine wires iitted on the face thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,062,740 Sharpe May 27, 1913 2,653,565 Adams Sept. 29, 1953 FOREIGNPATENTS 282,253 Great Britain Dec. 22, 1927

1. METERS AND LIKE INSTRUMENTS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN OUTER DISCWITH A FIXED CIRCULAR SCALE IN ITS CIRCUMFERENCE, SAID OUTER DISCINCLUDING A STEPPED GAP AND A PLURALITY OF RADIAL SLOTS, A FLEXIBLESCALE BAND PROVIDED WITH TWO ENDS BEING GUIDED BY A PLURALITY OF GUIDEPLUGS, A GUIDE ELEMENT PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING, ONE END OF SAID SCALEBAND BEING FIXED TO SAID GUIDE ELEMENT, AND THE OTHER END OF SAID BANDBEING FREE TO PASS THROUGH SAID OPENING IN SAID GUIDE ELEMENT, ANAUXILIARY DISC HAVING SIMILAR RADIAL SLOTS AND STEPPED GAP AS SAID OUTERDISC AND SUPERIMPOSED THEREON, AND A ROTATABLE DISC HAVING A PLURALITYOF CURVED RADIAL SLOTS, SAID GUIDE ELEMENT BEING DISPLACED ALONG THESTEPPED GAP OF SAID OUTER DISC AND AUXILIARY DISC, AND THE PLURALITY OFGUIDE PLUGS BEING DISPLACED RADIALLY ALONG THE RESPECTIVE SLOTS OF THEOUTER DISC, AUXILIARY DISC, AND THE ROTATABLE DISC.